Buckingham Fountain - Things to See & Do > Grant Park - Choose Chicago Back to Previous Page The centerpiece of Grant Park is the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain, a gift from philanthropist Kate Sturges Buckingham. Constructed in 1927, the fountain is one of the largest of its kind with a center jet that streams water 150 feet in the air. The structure was designed by Chicago architect Edward Bennet who, along with French sculptor Marcel Loyau and engineer Jazques H. Lambert, built the fountain in the vein of the Latona Basin at Versailles. DID YOU KNOW? The fountain is made to represent Lake Michigan, with four pairs of Art Deco style sea horses that symbolize the four states that border Lake Michigan's shoreline. During its more impressive water displays, the fountain circuits through more than 15,000 gallons of water per minute. In total, the fountain contains more than 1,500,000 gallons of water and contains nearly 200 jets. The fountain was constructed at a cost of $750,000 with an endowment fund established by Buckingham to help take care of the maintenance.

Today, it's known as the "front door to Chicago's front yard" in reference to its flagship position in Grant Park. Featured Partners Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain | Chicago Park District Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain Aerial view of Buckingham Fountain in 1946 Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain is now open! Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain 301 S. Columbus Dr. Chicago, Illinois 60605 [ View Map ] Facility Hours: Notes: Above hours apply when fountain is open, typically April to mid-October Facility Phone: (312) 742-3918 Multimedia Description The Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain, one of the largest in the world, is located at Columbus Drive (301 East) and Congress Parkway (500 South) in Grant Park and runs from 8 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily, typically from early April through mid-October, depending on weather. Display times are subject to change during special events in Grant Park. While in operation, the Fountain produces a major water display for 20 minutes every hour.

During the major display, a center jet shoots water to a height of 150 feet into the air. Major displays begin daily at 9:00 a.m. and continue thereafter, every hour on the hour. Beginning at dusk, a spectacular light and music display accompanies the major display, beginning every hour on the hour for 20 minutes. Each evening, the final major display begins at 10:35 p.m. Overview Donated by Kate S. Buckingham in honor of her brother Clarence, the Buckingham Fountain is considered one of the finest ornamental fountains in America. It has been designated as a Chicago Landmark and a contributing feature within Grant Park’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places. An important Chicago art patron and philanthropist, Kate Sturges Buckingham (1858 – 1937) was the last member of the Buckingham family. Originally from Zanesville, Ohio, the Buckingham family made its fortune in grain elevators, real estate and steel. Kate and her brother Clarence Buckingham (1854 – 1913) were both avid art collectors and benefactors who donated valuable prints, paintings, sculptures, and objects to the Art Institute of Chicago.

In the mid 1920s, Kate Buckingham decided to provide funds for a magnificent fountain in Grant Park as a memorial to her brother. Architect Edward H. Bennett of the firm Bennett, Parsons and Frost, designed the fountain and French artist Marcel Loyau produced the sculptural elements. Architects Jacques Lambert and Clarence W. Farrier served as associates on the project. The fountain is composed of pink Georgia marble, with some granite elements, and bronze sculptures. During the planning phases, Kate Buckingham expressed that she wanted the fountain’s lighting to emulate “soft moonlight.” According to an early Chicago Park District brochure, “though advanced in years,” Miss Buckingham “worked night after night with technicians, trying out various colors of glass and adjusting the control of electric current” to produce “blends… that pleased her— and indeed, there is a mystical aura around the lighted fountain suggesting moonlight— in fairyland.” Structure and Water The water displays are powered by three pumps. Pump 1 is the primary pump that keeps the fountain running throughout the day.

Pumps 2 and 3 operate during the major display: · Pump 3: 75 horsepower for 1,600 gallons of water a minute · Pump 2: 190 horsepower for 5,500 gallons of water a minute · Pump 1: 250 horsepower for 7,000 gallons of water a minute The Fountain has 133 jets in the following configurations: · 1 central jet at the top of the upper basin used for the 150-foot tall geyser · 34 jets pointing upwards from the top basin along the inner top ring, · 34 jets at the consoles located along the perimeter of all three basins · Each of the three basins have 12 jets that spray an arc to the level about 8 jets spout from the sea horses' mouths · 20 isolated jets- 4 groups of 5 spray heads The Fountain's water capacity is 1.5 million gallons. Depending on wind conditions, major displays recirculate approximately 14,100 gallons of water per minute conveyed through 134 jets.

Water is recirculated from the base pool after the basins are filled and not drawn from the outside except to replace losses from wind and evaporation. The bottom pool of the fountain is 280 feet in diameter, the lower basin is 103 feet, the middle basin is 60 feet and the upper basin is 24 feet. The top of the upper basin stands 25 feet above the water in the lower basin. The fountain has its original underground pump house with two levels. The control room is located on the first level, and the lower level pump room is 35 feet long, 25 feet wide. The original pumps and motors are still in operation today. Lighting Kate Buckingham envisioned a fountain whose effect was that of "soft moonlight." She worked many nights with technicians, testing the various colors of the glass filters and currents to produce an ethereal, mystical aura. The Fountain contains 820 lights in the following configurations: · 16 in top bowl · 24 in the isolated jets · 60 in the sea horses · 12 in the bulrushes Operations The Buckingham Fountain was manually operated from 1927 through the 1970s.

The operations were first fully automated in 1980, when the Chicago Park District entered into a contract with Honeywell. The computer was located on site, but the monitoring system took place remotely, off premises. For the first several years, the monitoring system was based in the Chicago suburbs. In the mid 1980s, the monitoring system was moved to Atlanta, for several years, but then returned to suburban Chicago in 1994. The Chicago Park District upgraded the Buckingham Fountain computer in 2013 with a non-proprietary Allen-Bradley PLC System. Today, all of the automation and monitoring takes place on-site, with remote alarm monitoring and notification. History The Fountain officially opened to the public on May 26, 1927 and was dedicated on August 26, 1927. As the centerpiece of Grant Park—“Chicago’s Front Yard”, architect Edward H. Bennett (1874–1954) designed the Fountain to serve as the park’s formal focal point without obstructing the views of the Lake Michigan.

Kate Sturges Buckingham (1858-1937) dedicated the structure to the people of Chicago in 1927 in memory of her late brother, Clarence, donating one million dollars for the Fountain. Edward H. Bennett designed the monument in collaboration with French sculptor Marcel Loyau and engineer Jacques H. Lambert. Inspired by the Latona Fountain at Versailles, the structure is composed of four basins clad in elaborately carved granite and pink Georgia marble. Buckingham Fountain, however, is twice the size and re-circulates approximately three times more water than its French counterpart. Chicago’s fountain is also unique as it symbolizes Lake Michigan. Conveying the enormity of the lake, its major display uses as much as 15,000 gallons of water per minute and sprays water to a height of 150 feet from the ground. The massive lower basin features four sets of Art Deco style sea horses representing the four states that border Lake Michigan. To create the sea-related bronze elements, sculptor Marcel Loyau studied the sea horse collection at a zoological institution in Paris.

The fountain’s sculptural elements garnered Loyau the Prix National at the 1927 Paris Salon. The monument’s original design included colored lighting to emulate soft moonlight. During the dedication in August of 1927, John Philip Sousa conducted while his band played “Pomp and Circumstance” before an audience of 50,000 people. For years, the fountain was entirely manually operated by two engineers who each worked a twelve-hour daily shift. Although the evening light show was first automated in 1968, the water continued to be manually operated until 1980, when the operations were fully computerized. From 1983 to 1994, the fountain’s computer was located in Atlanta. Today, however, it is on site and with a monitoring system in Arlington Heights, IL. The Fountain has remained intact except for a brief theft of two carved fish heads from the fountain, weighing several pounds each. The fish heads were recovered when a salvage place was offered the pieces and the buyer thought they looked very familiar and reported them. This iconic Fountain continues to be one of Chicago's most popular tourist attractions. 1 Clarence F.

Buckingham Memorial Fountain Location Notes: Columbus Drive (301 East) and Congress Parkway (500 South) Can Rent: No Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain - Wow Chicago Location: Congress Pkwy & Columbus Dr Hours: Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain North - Franco's Location: Congress Pkwy & Columbus Dr Hours: Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain South - Buck's Four Star Grill Location: Congress Pkwy & Columbus Dr Hours: There are no documents available. Photos & Videos Gallery: 2015 Year in Review Date Posted: 11/02/2015 A visual review of 2015 in the parks! We've put together a few photos highlighting events, programs, new facilities, and a few fun moments. Check it out. Gallery: Switching on Buckingham Fountain Date Posted: 5/14/2015 ComEd and the Chicago Park District officially opened Buckingham Fountain for the 2015 season during the "Switch on Summer" event on Saturday, May 9th.

Reviews Description The Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain, one of the largest in the world, is located at Columbus Drive (301 East) and Congress Parkway (500 South) in Grant Park and runs from 8 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily, typically from early April through mid-October, depending on weather. Display times are subject to change during special events in Grant Park. While in operation, the Fountain produces a major water display for 20 minutes every hour. During the major display, a center jet shoots water to a height of 150 feet into the air. Major displays begin daily at 9:00 a.m. and continue thereafter, every hour on the hour. Beginning at dusk, a spectacular light and music display accompanies the major display, beginning every hour on the hour for 20 minutes. Each evening, the final major display begins at 10:35 p.m. Overview Donated by Kate S. Buckingham in honor of her brother Clarence, the Buckingham Fountain is considered one of the finest ornamental fountains in America. It has been designated as a Chicago Landmark and a contributing feature within Grant Park’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

An important Chicago art patron and philanthropist, Kate Sturges Buckingham (1858 – 1937) was the last member of the Buckingham family. Originally from Zanesville, Ohio, the Buckingham family made its fortune in grain elevators, real estate and steel. Kate and her brother Clarence Buckingham (1854 – 1913) were both avid art collectors and benefactors who donated valuable prints, paintings, sculptures, and objects to the Art Institute of Chicago. In the mid 1920s, Kate Buckingham decided to provide funds for a magnificent fountain in Grant Park as a memorial to her brother. Architect Edward H. Bennett of the firm Bennett, Parsons and Frost, designed the fountain and French artist Marcel Loyau produced the sculptural elements. Architects Jacques Lambert and Clarence W. Farrier served as associates on the project. The fountain is composed of pink Georgia marble, with some granite elements, and bronze sculptures.

During the planning phases, Kate Buckingham expressed that she wanted the fountain’s lighting to emulate “soft moonlight.” According to an early Chicago Park District brochure, “though advanced in years,” Miss Buckingham “worked night after night with technicians, trying out various colors of glass and adjusting the control of electric current” to produce “blends… that pleased her— and indeed, there is a mystical aura around the lighted fountain suggesting moonlight— in fairyland.” Structure and Water The water displays are powered by three pumps. Pump 1 is the primary pump that keeps the fountain running throughout the day.

Pumps 2 and 3 operate during the major display: · Pump 3: 75 horsepower for 1,600 gallons of water a minute · Pump 2: 190 horsepower for 5,500 gallons of water a minute · Pump 1: 250 horsepower for 7,000 gallons of water a minute The Fountain has 133 jets in the following configurations: · 1 central jet at the top of the upper basin used for the 150-foot tall geyser · 34 jets pointing upwards from the top basin along the inner top ring, · 34 jets at the consoles located along the perimeter of all three basins · Each of the three basins have 12 jets that spray an arc to the level about 8 jets spout from the sea horses' mouths · 20 isolated jets- 4 groups of 5 spray heads The Fountain's water capacity is 1.5 million gallons. Depending on wind conditions, major displays recirculate approximately 14,100 gallons of water per minute conveyed through 134 jets.

Water is recirculated from the base pool after the basins are filled and not drawn from the outside except to replace losses from wind and evaporation. The bottom pool of the fountain is 280 feet in diameter, the lower basin is 103 feet, the middle basin is 60 feet and the upper basin is 24 feet. The top of the upper basin stands 25 feet above the water in the lower basin. The fountain has its original underground pump house with two levels. The control room is located on the first level, and the lower level pump room is 35 feet long, 25 feet wide. The original pumps and motors are still in operation today. Lighting Kate Buckingham envisioned a fountain whose effect was that of "soft moonlight." She worked many nights with technicians, testing the various colors of the glass filters and currents to produce an ethereal, mystical aura. The Fountain contains 820 lights in the following configurations: · 16 in top bowl Visit Buckingham Fountain on your trip to Chicago or United States TripAdvisor Anupam B In the middle of Downtown an wonderful master peace, one of the must view place of Chicago, it is located in downtown chicago near Lake front.

Jktmale Air mancur ini letaknya di taman tengah kota persis di tepi danau. Air mancur ini cukup besar dan sangat indah terutama di sore hari. Banyak sekali orang yang mengabadikan foto di dekat air mancur ini... more » Jessica W Nous savions qu'elle ne fonctionnait pas en hiver mais nous sommes quand même allée la voir pour ensuite nous diriger vers l'immensité du lac Michigan. Il faisait très beau et nous avons vraiment appr... more » We knew that she did not work in the winter, but we're still go to then head towards the vastness of Lake Michigan. It was very nice and we really enjoyed the view on the skyscrapers. It was a walk in the Park very nice and interesting. View original Google Sonia Binte Khorshed A wonderful place, indeed. Lately I had a chance visiting the fountain and it was worth paying a visit. The vast ancient fountain by the great lake Michigan is a true landmark for the city. Too bad I spent a very little time there. I would love to go there again soon. more less Victor Boissiere Worth seeing.

This fountain goes mad with a very high jet for a limited time. So wait here a couple of minutes if you want to see it ! One of the place to go in Chicago, especially to enjoy the seafront more less Iman Randhawa There is an awesome water display at the top of every hour. Otherwise too the fountain is an impressive sight to behold. It's a quick walk over from the bean and a must see. more less Seamus Fugler There are some places in Chicago that are perfect to go to with anyone, for really any reason. This is one of them. If it's the right season, and the fountain is on, it's a beautiful sight to see the huge spouts of water with the skyline right behind it. Then, just cross the street and you're on lakeshore, or go a little further north and you walk through some of Chicago's green space and end up next to Millennium Park! 10/10 great spot to go to. more less Tiffani Ng It's kind of trek to get here if you start near the Art Institute, and honestly, it's not all that impressive of a fountain.

Maybe I just need to come here at night when they have the light displays to see what everyone raves about? P.S. They turn the fountain off in the winter/once the weather starts to get colder, so don't even bother looking for it from Nov-Mar. more less Buckingham Fountain, Chicago Buckingham Fountain 5 470 votes Buckingham Fountain, officially known as the 'Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain' is one of Chicago's most popular landmarks. The fountain is located in Grant Park at the center of a formally laid out garden. Kate Buckingham Buckingham Fountain The fountain was commisioned in 1927 by Kate Buckingham to honor her late brother Clarence. She had frequently traveled to Europe, where she admired the huge public fountains and wanted to bring some of Europe's monumentality to Chicago. She also left an endowment to maintain the fountain. Design The design of the fountain is based on the 'Bassin de Latone' at the Versailles Palace near Paris and was built by Edward H. Bennett, who had also constructed Seahorse the Michigan Avenue Bridge . The fountain rises more than seven meters high (23ft) and consists of three layers of bassins surrounded by four pairs of bronze seahorses.

Each sea horse symbolizes a state bordering Lake Michigan (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin) while the fountain basin represents the lake itself. The statues were created by the French sculptor Marcel F. Loyau, who won the Prix National at the 1927 Paris Salon for it. A Monumental Fountain The fountain at night One of the largest fountains in the world, the Buckingham Fountain measures 85m/280ft in diameter. It features 134 jets powered by 3 pumps. The fountain's hourly twenty-minute water display starts with small sprays. While the basins are filled more and more jets are activated until it reaches its climax when the central jet pushes water up to a height of 46m/150ft. The animation is best seen at dusk - after 8 pm - when it is accompanied with music and beautifully animated with a now computerized choreography of color spotlights. Buckingham Fountain - Chicago, IL - Official Local Tourism Attractions on Waymarking.com you are not logged in. [log in] Buckingham Fountain - Chicago, IL - Official Local Tourism Attractions on Waymarking.com Welcome to Waymarking.com!

We hope you've been able to find what you are looking for. We would also like to encourage you to take some time to browse some of the other aspects of our site. We recommend viewing our featured waymarks , or perhaps the newest waymarks . You can also create a free membership to track your progress online and share your locations with others. Click here to view the complete waymark directory N 41° 52.546 W 087° 37.140 16T E 448636 N 4636168 Quick Description: The Buckingham fountain, built in 1927, is a major landmark for the city of Chicago. Located in Grant Park, the fountain was a gift from Kate Buckingham in memory of her late brother, Clarence. Location: Illinois, United States Date Posted: 7/30/2007 6:56:56 PM Waymark Code: WM1Y1V .KML File (Google Earth) Long Description: Kate Buckingham dedicated this beautiful fountain to the people of Chicago in 1927 in memory of her late brother, Clarence.

At the time she also put $300,000 in trust to make sure that the fountain would be maintained over its lifetime. According to the park district's Website, "Edward H. Bennett designed the fountain to represent Lake Michigan with four sea horses, built by Marcel Loyau, to symbolize the four states that touch the lake: Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Bennett attributed the design specifically to the influence of the Latona Basin in Louis XIV's gardens at Versailles." The fountain can be seen in all its glory from April to mid October, depending on weather. It runs from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily and every hour on the hour for 20 minutes the fountain produces a major water display and the center jet shoots 150 feet into the air. At dusk the fountain's show is accompanied by lights and music. The following facts are from the park district's website, which is linked to below: The water display is run by 3 pumps and has 134 jets The fountain's water capacity is 1.5 million gallons.

Depending on wind conditions, major displays use approximately 14,100 gallons of water per minute conveyed through 134 jets. Water is re-circulated from the base pool after the basins are filled and not drawn from the outside except to replace losses from wind and evaporation. The bottom pool of the fountain is 280 feet in diameter, the lower basin is 103 feet, the middle basin is 60 feet and the upper basin is 24 feet. The lip of the upper basin is 25 feet above the water in the lower basin. The underground pump room is 35 feet long, 25 feet wide and 25 feet high The fountain contains 820 lights The fountain is constructed of Georgia pink marble The fountain has remained intact except for a brief theft of two carved fish heads from the fountain, weighing several pounds each. The fish heads were recovered when a salvage place was offered the pieces and the buyer thought they looked very familiar and reported them. The "Official Tourism" URL link to the attraction: [Web Link] The attraction’s own URL: [Web Link] Hours of Operation: 8:00 a.m.

to 11:00 p.m. daily from April through mid October Admission Prices: Buckingham Fountain - Chicago, IL - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com you are not logged in. [log in] Buckingham Fountain - Chicago, IL - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com Welcome to Waymarking.com! We hope you've been able to find what you are looking for. We would also like to encourage you to take some time to browse some of the other aspects of our site. We recommend viewing our featured waymarks , or perhaps the newest waymarks . You can also create a free membership to track your progress online and share your locations with others. Click here to view the complete waymark directory N 41° 52.546 W 087° 37.140 16T E 448636 N 4636168 Quick Description: The Buckingham fountain, built in 1927, is a major landmark for the city of Chicago. Located in Grant Park, the fountain was a gift from Kate Buckingham in memory of her late brother, Clarence.

Location: Illinois, United States Date Posted: 7/30/2007 7:14:22 PM Waymark Code: WM1Y1X Long Description: The following excerpt is from "The WPA Guide to Illinois": At the end of the concourse stands the BUCKINGHAM MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN, formally landscaped as the "centerpiece of Grant Park." Dedicated in 1927, the pink Georgia marble fountain is the gift of the late Miss Kate Buckingham, in memory of her brother, Clarence Buckingham, a former trustee of the Art Institute. The main pool, 300 feet in diameter, contains four pairs of sea horses, dedicated to and facing each of the four states bordering Lake Michigan. For creating these fine large figures, N. Marcel Loyau won the Prix National. In the center of the pool three concentric basins rise to a height of 25 feet, and from their outer rims spouts a series of diminishing water domes. A central column of water rises almost 100 feet above the apex of the highest dome.

At night, hidden lights of 45 million candlepower concentrate a blaze of color, constantly shifting in pattern, on the cascades of spray. The intricate control mechanism is housed in an underground room. During displays the fountain shoots 15,500 gallons of water per minute from its 134 jets. It is twice the size of the Latona Fountain at Versailles, which in a measure inspired its design. The architects were Bennett, Parsons, and Frost, with Clarence Farrier and J.H. Lambert as associates. At the time of the fountain's dedication, Kate Buckingham put $300,000 in trust to ensure that the fountain would be maintained during its lifetime without any cost to the taxpayers of Chicago. The fountain can be seen in all its glory from April to mid October, depending on weather. It runs from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily and every hour on the hour for 20 minutes the fountain produces a major water display and the center jet shoots 150 feet into the air. At dusk the fountain's show is accompanied by lights and music.

The following facts are from the park district's website, which is linked to below: The water display is run by 3 pumps and has 134 jets The fountain's water capacity is 1.5 million gallons. Depending on wind conditions, major displays use approximately 14,100 gallons of water per minute conveyed through 134 jets. Water is re-circulated from the base pool after the basins are filled and not drawn from the outside except to replace losses from wind and evaporation. The bottom pool of the fountain is 280 feet in diameter, the lower basin is 103 feet, the middle basin is 60 feet and the upper basin is 24 feet. The lip of the upper basin is 25 feet above the water in the lower basin. The underground pump room is 35 feet long, 25 feet wide and 25 feet high The fountain contains 820 lights The fountain is constructed of Georgia pink marble The fountain has remained intact except for a brief theft of two carved fish heads from the fountain, weighing several pounds each. The fish heads were recovered when a salvage place was offered the pieces and the buyer thought they looked very familiar and reported them.

Book: Illinois Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 231 Year Originally Published: 1939 Grant Park | Chicago Park District Chicago Park District Grant Park Skate Park Courtesy of DNAinfo Grant Park Skate Park Courtesy of DNAinfo Central Region accepts the Chicago 16” Softball Hall of Fame “Field of Dreams” Distinction Grant Park 337 E. Randolph St. Chicago, Illinois 60601 [ View Map ] Park Hours: Park Supervisor: Jackie Guthrie (Maggie Daley Park) Park Phone: (312) 742-3918 Multimedia Description Proudly referred to as Chicago's "front yard," Grant Park is a public park, 319 acres located in Chicago’s central business district in the Loop Community area. Grant Park’s most notable features include Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum Campus. Named for United States President and Civil War General, Ulysses S. Grant, Grant Park was developed as one of Chicago's first parks and expanded through land reclamation. The park was the focus of several disputes in the late 1800s and early 1900s over open space use.

It is bordered on the north by Randolph Street, on the south by Roosevelt Road, on the west by Michigan Avenue and on the east by Lake Michigan. The park contains performance venues, gardens, art work, sporting, and harbor facilities. It hosts public gatherings, and several large annual events. A city centerpiece much like New York’s Central Park, the site of three world-class museums -- the Art Institute, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium-- the park includes the museum campus, a 1995 transformation of paved areas into beautiful contiguous greenspace. Grant Park's centerpiece is the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain, built in 1927 to provide a monumental focal point while protecting the park's breathtaking lakefront views. The park also contains baseball diamonds, tennis courts and plays host some the city's largest food and music festivals. The park has been the site of many large civic events. In 1911, it hosted the major Chicago International Aviation Meet. It was the scene of clashes between Chicago Police and demonstrators during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Pope John Paul II celebrated an outdoor mass to a large crowd here in 1979.

Championship celebrations for the Chicago Bulls were staged here during the 1990s. The park was the location for President Barack Obama's Election Day victory speech on the night of November 4, 2008. Annually, the park hosts some of Chicago's biggest festivals and spectator events including The Taste of Chicago—a large food and music festival held around the Independence Day holiday; The Grant Park Music Festival; and the park is also the site of the start and finish lines of the Chicago Marathon. Since 2005, Lollapalooza, a popular series of rock concerts has taken place in the park. Grant Park offers many different attractions in its large open space. The park is generally flat. It is also crossed by large boulevards and even a bed of sunken railroad tracks. While bridges are used to span the tracks, and also used to connect with Millennium Park, the rest of the park must be reached by pedestrians at traffic crossings, except for a spacious underpass connection to the Museum Campus. There are also several parking garages underneath the park, near Michigan Avenue.

Features and layout of Grant Park Millennium Park The northwestern corner of the park was renovated between 1998 and 2004 to become Millennium Park, a contiguous area with a variety of artistic features by architects and artists. Millennium Park has free admission, and features the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Cloud Gate, the Crown Fountain, the Lurie Garden and other attractions. The park is connected by the BP Pedestrian Bridge and the Nichols Bridgeway to other parts of Grant Park. Maggie Daley Park A major construction project continues at the former Daley Bicentennial Plaza site, now being transformed into the magnificent Lakefront recreation center, Maggie Daley Park. As part of a staggered opening, the ice skating ribbon is set to open mid-December, 2014 , and the fieldhouse will be open for winter programs beginning January, 2015. The Skating Ribbon In the heart of downtown Chicago, with the City’s skyline as a backdrop, a ribbon of ice winds through a rolling landscape providing an ice skating experience unlike any other. The skating ribbon is dramatically different from typical civic ice rinks, creating a multisensory activity that is integrated into the landscape.

Skaters can experience “alpine in the city” as they lace up their ice skates and follow a path twice the length of a lap around a traditional skating rink. Complementing the ribbon are places to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, rent skates and scale the climbing wall. In the summertime, the Ribbon can be used for activities such as roller-skating and scooters, gallery exhibitions and special events. Field House The Field House is a central hub for the indoor and outdoor programming of the site throughout the seasons. The core programs such as the day camps and pre-school have been retained; while additional program activities that support the new park features like the climbing park and skating ribbon will be added to the offerings of the field house along with fitness programs. Some event space will also be available for rent beginning in December, 2014.

Other Amenities Scheduled to Open in the Spring of 2015 In 2015, visitors can enjoy the Climbing Park with features on the wall for experts and beginners, the Play Garden for children, an Enchanted Forest with a mirrored maze and kaleidoscope, The Lagoon, The Sea and The Harbor play apparatus for toddlers, a Wave Lawn for recreation for all ages, a Slide Crater with spiral slide and wide and rail slide features, as well as access to event rental space in the fieldhouse and open lawn. The dramatic transformation of this space is already evident and amazing. Learn more about this new park and the construction project. Art Institute of Chicago Built in 1893, on the western edge of Grant Park is the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the premier art museums and art schools in the United States, known especially for the extensive collection of Impressionist and American art, such as A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, and Grant Wood's American Gothic. Buckingham Fountain The center piece of Grant Park is Buckingham Fountain, one of the world's largest fountains.

The fountain, in a rococo wedding cake style, was dedicated in 1927 as a gift to the city from Kate Sturges Buckingham in memory of her brother Clarence. The fountain operates from April to October with water displays every 20 minutes and a light and water display from 9:00pm to 10:00pm. Museum Campus Chicago's Museum Campus is a 57 acre addition to Grant Park's southeastern end. The Museum Campus is the site of three of the city's most notable museums, all dedicated to the natural sciences: Adler Planetarium, Field Museum of Natural History, and Shedd Aquarium. A narrow isthmus along Solidarity Drive dominated by Neoclassical sculptures of Kosciuszko, Havlicek and Copernicus connects to Northerly Island where the planetarium is located to the rest of the Museum Campus situated on the mainland. Petrillo Music Shell The Petrillo Music Shell hosts music performances during the Chicago Jazz Festival, Taste of Chicago and Lollapalooza. Located at 235 S.

Columbus Drive, the music shell's area encompasses the entire block bounded by Lake Shore Drive to the east, Columbus Drive to the west, East Monroe Street to the north and East Jackson Street to the South. The structure was relocated to this site in 1978 from the south end of the park. The amphitheater and paved surface for public seating is in the southwest corner. Congress Plaza Located in the center, on the west side of the park, is Congress Plaza. The two semicircular plazas, created by East Congress Plaza Drive, and bisected by East Congress Parkway, contain gardens, fountains, and artwork, including the large bronze warrior statues, The Bowman and the Spearman that are positioned like gatekeepers to the park. Hutchinson Field Much of the southern end of Grant Park is given over to Hutchinson Field, an open space for large events, with a dozen baseball or softball diamonds. Chicago Lakefront Trail The Chicago Lakefront Trail is an 18-mile multi-use path along the coast of Lake Michigan. It is popular with cyclists and joggers. From north to south, it runs through Lincoln Park, Grant Park, Burnham Park and Jackson Park.

Marinas and Harbors There are two pleasure and leisure boat marinas on Lake Michigan, which are accessed from Grant Park. Monroe Harbor provides 1000 mooring cans, tender service, and facilities in the expansive harbor east of the park. It is the home of the Chicago Yacht Club and the Columbia Yacht Club. DuSable Harbor (formerly, Chicago Harbor) northeast of the park, offers 420 boat docks and a harbor store. Both Harbors may be accessed off Lake Shore Drive near Monroe Street. Skate Park in Grant Park The Chicago Park District has transformed 1.86 acres of open space at the southwest corner of Grant Park into a new recreational space and invested $2.724M dollars toward the development of this new area. Site improvements include an outdoor programmable event/art exhibition space that also offers multi-use recreation, which includes wheel-friendly elements for scooters, rollerblades, skate boards and BMX bikes.

Additional design elements include: multi-skill level concrete ramps, planters and flatwork with decorative staining, metal coping, grinding rails and handrails; pedestrian lighting, ornamental and granite block benches, drinking fountain, drainage structures, infiltration areas, ornamental fencing, native landscape plantings and other site amenities. While there is no structured programming taking place at this location, we invite you to check out our great programs offered at nearby Maggie Daley Park. History Grant Park's beginnings date to 1835, when foresighted citizens, fearing commercial lakefront development, lobbied to protect the open space. As a result, the park's original area east of Michigan Avenue was designated "public ground forever to remain vacant of buildings." Officially named Lake Park in 1847, the site soon suffered from lakefront erosion. The Illinois Central Railroad agreed to build a breakwater to protect the area in exchange for permission for an offshore train trestle. After the Great Fire of 1871, the area between the shore and trestle became a dump site for piles of charred rubble, the first of many landfill additions.

In 1901, the city transferred the park to the South Park Commission, which named it for Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), 18th President of the United States. Renowned architect Daniel H. Burnham envisioned Grant Park as a formal landscape with museums and civic buildings. However, construction was stalled by lawsuits launched by mail-order magnate Aaron Montgomery Ward, who sought to protect the park's open character. Finally, in 1911, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled in Ward's favor. New landfill at the park's southern border allowed construction of the Field Museum to begin, and the park evolved slowly. In 1934, the South Park Commission was consolidated into the Chicago Park District, which completed improvements using federal relief funds. At the turn of the 21st century, the north end of Grant Park is undergoing a multi-million-dollar facelift, as old railbeds are transformed into Millennium Park, a major landscape and festival site." Parking/Directions For directions using public transportation visit . 1 Location Notes: East of S. Michigan Avenue on axis with E. 8th Street Can Rent: No Location Notes: East of S.

Michigan Avenue on axis with E. 11th Street Can Rent: No Location Notes: East of S. Michigan Avenue and north of E. Roosevelt Road Can Rent: No Location Notes: Underpass at Columbus Drive and the Museum Campus Can Rent: No Location Notes: Grant Park South - Logan South Lawn Can Rent: No Location Notes: Court of Presidents, south of E. Congress Parkway and east of S. Columbus Drive Can Rent: No Location Notes: Museum Park Campus, South of Shedd, N Water Taxi boarding site Can Rent: No Location Notes: North of Field Museum Can Rent: No Location: 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive Location Notes: On the west terrace of the Field Museum Can Rent: No Location Notes: West of Metra Tracks and north of E. Roosevelt Road Can Rent: No Location Notes: Lawn panel north of Shedd @ SW Monroe Harbor Can Rent: No Location Notes: Southwest corner of S. Columbus Drive and E. Monroe Street Can Rent: No Location Notes: East of S. Columbus Drive and north of E. Roosevelt Road Can Rent: No Location: 301 S. Columbus Dr. Location Notes: Between S.

Columbus Drive and S. Lake Shore Drive on axis with E. Congress Parkway Can Rent: No Location Notes: Congress Plaza, east of S. Michigan Avenue at E. Congress Parkway Can Rent: No Location Notes: Congress Plaza, east of S. Michigan Avenue at E. Congress Parkway Can Rent: No Location Notes: Stanley McCormick Memorial Court, north of the Art Institute of Chicago Can Rent: No Location Notes: Just west of DuSable Harbor Can Rent: No Location Notes: Stanley McCormick Memorial Court north of the Art Institute of Chicago Can Rent: No Location Notes: One pair north and one pair south of Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain Can Rent: No Location Notes: South Garden of the Art Institute of Chicago Can Rent: No Location Notes: MPC North of Roosevelt Berm-E of LSD Can Rent: No Location Notes: Field house lobby Can Rent: No Location Notes: Field Museum lawn NW corner at underpass Can Rent: No Location Notes: Museum Park Campus-E of Pedway Plaza Can Rent: No Location Notes: West of S. Columbus Drive and south of E. Monroe Street Can Rent: No Location Notes: East of S. Michigan Ave. at E. 9th Street Can Rent: No Location Notes: East of S.

Michigan Ave. at E. 11th Street Can Rent: No Location Notes: Stanley McCormick Memorial Court, north of the Art Institute of Chicago Can Rent: No Lions (1) Location Notes: East of S. Michigan Avenue at E. Adams Street, flanking entrance to the Art Institute of Chicago Can Rent: No Location Notes: Congress Plaza, east of S. Michigan Avenue at E. Congress Parkway Can Rent: No Location Notes: Southwest of the entrance to Shedd Aquarium Can Rent: No Location Notes: Queen's Landing, upper plaza Can Rent: No Location Notes: Queen's Landing, upper plaza Can Rent: No Location Notes: East of Field Museum Can Rent: No Location Notes: Michigan Avenue and E. Van Buren Street Can Rent: No Location Notes: Butler Field just south of E. Monroe Drive Can Rent: No Location Notes: East of S. Michigan Avenue, south of E. Jackson Drive Can Rent: No Location Notes: East of S. Michigan Avenue and north of E.

Balbo Drive Can Rent: No Location Notes: Field Museum - S Steps Plaza Can Rent: No Location Notes: Buckingham Plaza North, between café and comfort station Can Rent: No Location Notes: Jackson Boulevard at LSD East Can Rent: No Grant Park - Big Bus Tours Location: 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive Hours: Grant Park - Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co. Location: 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive Location Notes: on the Museum Campus, near the Shedd Aquarium Hours: Grant Park - Clark St. Sports Location: 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive Location Notes: on the Museum Campus, near the Shedd Aquarium Hours: Location: 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive Location Notes: on the Museum Campus, near the Shedd Aquarium Hours: Location: 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive Location Notes: on the Museum Campus, near the Shedd Aquarium Hours: Grant Park - Frutallia Italian Ice Location: Michigan & Jackson Location Notes: at Solti Gardens Hours: Location Notes: at Monroe Harbor Hours: Grant Park - Kim & Carlo's Chicago Style Hot Dog Location: 1400 S.

Lake Shore Drive Location Notes: on the north side of the Field Museum Hours: Grant Park - Kim & Carlo's Chicago Style Hot Dog Location: 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive Location Notes: on the south side of the Field Museum Hours: Grant Park - Ms. B's Italian Ice Location: Monroe & Columbus Drive Grant Park - Ms. B's Italian Ice Location: 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive Location Notes: on the Museum Campus, near the Shedd Aquarium Hours: Location: E. Congress Pkwy & LSD Location Notes: at Queens Landing Hours: Location: 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive Location Notes: on the Museum Campus, near the Shedd Aquarium Hours: Location: 601 S. Michigan Ave. Location Notes: at Michigan Ave. & Harrison St. Hours: Grant Park - T & M Foods Inc. Location: 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive Location Notes: on the Museum Campus, near the Shedd Aquarium Hours: Location Notes: 951 S. Columbus Drive Can Rent: No Notes: .36 acres, located north and west of 9th St. Service yard south of Balbo. Doggie drinking fountain.

Formal Gardens Location Notes: Corner of Balbo Ave. & Michigan Ave. (across from the Hilton Towers Hotel) Can Rent: No Location Notes: Columbus Dr. & Congress Pkwy. (just north of Congress Pkwy.) Can Rent: No Notes: North President's Court (Potager Garden run by Growing Power) Tiffany & Co. Foundation Celebration Garden Location Notes: South of Buckingham Fountain, East of Columbus Dr. and west of Lake Shore Drive. Can Rent: No Notes: Tiffany & Co. Foundation Celebration Garden Spirit of Music Gardens Location Notes: Corner of Balbo Ave. & Michigan Ave. (just north of Balbo Ave.) Can Rent: No Notes: Spirit of Music Gardens South President's Court Location Notes: Columbus Dr. & Congress Pkwy. (just south of Congress Pkwy.) Can Rent: No Location Notes: Center Median off of Congress Pkwy., between Columbus Dr. & Michigan Ave. Can Rent: No Location Notes: Michigan Ave. & Congress Pkwy. Can Rent: No Location Notes: Center triangle on Congress Pkwy. & Michigan Ave. Can Rent: No Location Notes: Lake Shore Dr. & Buckingham Fountain (500 S.

Lake Shore Dr.) Can Rent: No Notes: Buckingham Fountain Flower Gardens Cancer Survivor's Garden Location Notes: Upper Randolph St. just east of Daley Bicentennial Pkwy., between Columbus Dr. & Michigan Ave. Can Rent: No Location: 111 N. Lake Shore Drive Phone: (312) 742-3577 Location Notes: Foot of Monroe Street Phone: (312) 742-7643 Location Notes: 9th Street and Columbus Dr. Can Rent: No > News Video: July 2013: Summer Dance in the Parks Date Posted: 1/14/2016 Learn to dance and enjoy live music at SummerDance in the Parks -- an admission-free series that is part of Chicago SummerDance -- coming to five different Chicago Park District facilities Wednesdays, July 3 -- Aug. 28: Theater on the Lake; 63rd St. Beach house in Jackson Park; Ping Tom Memorial Park; Austin Town Hall; and the H Video: November 2015: Grant Park Rose Garden Blooms!

Date Posted: 1/14/2016 The Grant Park Rose Garden showcases the season's most impressive blooms, including the Catherine Graham rose. Meet the inspiration for this lovely rose and the dedicated team who keep the garden at its stunning glory. Gallery: Switching on Buckingham Fountain Date Posted: 5/14/2015 ComEd and the Chicago Park District officially opened Buckingham Fountain for the 2015 season during the "Switch on Summer" event on Saturday, May 9th. Reviews Description Proudly referred to as Chicago's "front yard," Grant Park is a public park, 319 acres located in Chicago’s central business district in the Loop Community area. Grant Park’s most notable features include Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum Campus. Named for United States President and Civil War General, Ulysses S. Grant, Grant Park was developed as one of Chicago's first parks and expanded through land reclamation. The park was the focus of several disputes in the late 1800s and early 1900s over open space use.

It is bordered on the north by Randolph Street, on the south by Roosevelt Road, on the west by Michigan Avenue and on the east by Lake Michigan. The park contains performance venues, gardens, art work, sporting, and harbor facilities. It hosts public gatherings, and several large annual events. A city centerpiece much like New York’s Central Park, the site of three world-class museums -- the Art Institute, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium-- the park includes the museum campus, a 1995 transformation of paved areas into beautiful contiguous greenspace. Grant Park's centerpiece is the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain, built in 1927 to provide a monumental focal point while protecting the park's breathtaking lakefront views. The park also contains baseball diamonds, tennis courts and plays host some the city's largest food and music festivals. The park has been the site of many large civic events. In 1911, it hosted the major Chicago International Aviation Meet. It was the scene of clashes between Chicago Police and demonstrators during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Pope John Paul II celebrated an outdoor mass to a large crowd here in 1979.

Championship celebrations for the Chicago Bulls were staged here during the 1990s. The park was the location for President Barack Obama's Election Day victory speech on the night of November 4, 2008. Annually, the park hosts some of Chicago's biggest festivals and spectator events including The Taste of Chicago—a large food and music festival held around the Independence Day holiday; The Grant Park Music Festival; and the park is also the site of the start and finish lines of the Chicago Marathon. Since 2005, Lollapalooza, a popular series of rock concerts has taken place in the park. Grant Park offers many different attractions in its large open space. The park is generally flat. It is also crossed by large boulevards and even a bed of sunken railroad tracks. While bridges are used to span the tracks, and also used to connect with Millennium Park, the rest of the park must be reached by pedestrians at traffic crossings, except for a spacious underpass connection to the Museum Campus. There are also several parking garages underneath the park, near Michigan Avenue.

Features and layout of Grant Park Millennium Park The northwestern corner of the park was renovated between 1998 and 2004 to become Millennium Park, a contiguous area with a variety of artistic features by architects and artists. Millennium Park has free admission, and features the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Cloud Gate, the Crown Fountain, the Lurie Garden and other attractions. The park is connected by the BP Pedestrian Bridge and the Nichols Bridgeway to other parts of Grant Park. Maggie Daley Park A major construction project continues at the former Daley Bicentennial Plaza site, now being transformed into the magnificent Lakefront recreation center, Maggie Daley Park. As part of a staggered opening, the ice skating ribbon is set to open mid-December, 2014 , and the fieldhouse will be open for winter programs beginning January, 2015. The Skating Ribbon In the heart of downtown Chicago, with the City’s skyline as a backdrop, a ribbon of ice winds through a rolling landscape providing an ice skating experience unlike any other. The skating ribbon is dramatically different from typical civic ice rinks, creating a multisensory activity that is integrated into the landscape.

Skaters can experience “alpine in the city” as they lace up their ice skates and follow a path twice the length of a lap around a traditional skating rink. Complementing the ribbon are places to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, rent skates and scale the climbing wall. In the summertime, the Ribbon can be used for activities such as roller-skating and scooters, gallery exhibitions and special events. Field House The Field House is a central hub for the indoor and outdoor programming of the site throughout the seasons. The core programs such as the day camps and pre-school have been retained; while additional program activities that support the new park features like the climbing park and skating ribbon will be added to the offerings of the field house along with fitness programs. Some event space will also be available for rent beginning in December, 2014.

Other Amenities Scheduled to Open in the Spring of 2015 In 2015, visitors can enjoy the Climbing Park with features on the wall for experts and beginners, the Play Garden for children, an Enchanted Forest with a mirrored maze and kaleidoscope, The Lagoon, The Sea and The Harbor play apparatus for toddlers, a Wave Lawn for recreation for all ages, a Slide Crater with spiral slide and wide and rail slide features, as well as access to event rental space in the fieldhouse and open lawn. The dramatic transformation of this space is already evident and amazing. Buckingham Fountain Buckingham Fountain Presented to this city by Miss Kate Buckingham in memory of her brother, Clarence, this fountain in Grant park east of the Congress street plaza, was modeled after the Latonia fountain of Versailles. About twice the size of the original and by far the largest and most elaborate fountain in the world, it was unveiled Aug 26, 1927. Provision for its perpetual maintenance was made by its donor. Four pairs of bronze seahorses, cast in France, appear to be swimming in the main basin in tribute to the states bordering Lake Michigan - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

It is the first fountain to make use of modern plumbing and lighting equipment, the latter being especially designed. A 45,000 candlepower system of colored flood lights provides illumination for the water display, the central column of which raised to a maximum height of 90 feet. Clarence Buckingham Clarence Buckingham, for many years prominent in financial circles in Chicago, a collector of rare paintings and a director of the Art Institute, died last Thursday night (August 28, 1913) of heart disease at his residence at 2036 Prairie avenue. Mr. Buckingham never married, and the only surviving members of his immediate family are two sisters, the Misses Kate and Maude Buckingham. He was born at Zanesville, O., November 2, 1854, and moved with his parents to Chicago when only a boy. He became associated with his fatherï¿½s concern, the J. and E. Buckingham Co., dealers in grain, later absorbed by the Illinois Central railroad. He then became a broker and was elected to the directorate of the Corn Exchange National Bank and the Illinois Trust and Savings Co. At one time he served as president of the Northwestern Elevated railroad company.

He took a keen interest in art, serving as a director of the Art Institute and exhibiting his collection of etchings and Japanese prints. He was a member of the Calumet, Chicago, Union League, Onewentsia and South Shore clubs. Chicago Tribune. August 30, 1913. Kate Sturges Buckingham Kate Sturges Buckingham was born in Zanesville, Ohio, August 3, 1858, and as an infant was brought to Chicago by her parents. All her conscious life Chicago was her beloved home and she was pre-eminently a Chicagoan. Her grandfather, Solomon Sturges, and her father, Ebenezer Buckingham, were important factors in the making of Chicago, so that her for the city had a possessive background - possessive with that keen sense of ï¿½noblesse obligeï¿½ which gave her a personal obligation to serve it, but which never allowed her to believe that what her family had done for Chicago, or what she did or could do for it gave her privileges among her fellow citizens.

Before and behind the Zanesville days, both sides of her family had records of high achievement in the East and in the Old Country to which she never referred. She saw Chicago grow from a village into a great city and gradually one of her chief aims in life became that of making beauty and art available to the people of Chicago, and part of their daily lives. This she had in mind when she built the Clarence Buckingham Fountain in memory of her brother. This was in her mind when she sought great artists to design the memorial she wished built in Chicago to Alexander Hamilton. This was in her mind as she added to her great collection in the Art Institute. She often said, ï¿½When I was a girl, Chicagoans had to travel far and wide to see things of beauty. I am glad I have lived to see the day when people now come from far and wide to see beautiful things in Chicago.ï¿½ Two things were significant about her gifts and artistic collections. She gave nothing with her own name attached to it. Her gifts were always memorials to others, and she kept for her own private use no object of art without first offering to one of Chicagoï¿½s museums.

Here, as well as with her many donations to music, she wanted to serve people. Hers was truly the spirit that built a great Chicago, and the only spirit that will keep Chicago the great city its builders made it. NOTE: The following text was handwritten on the Chicago Historical Society document, By Ruth Hanneman. (JDK) Father of Kate, Maude and Clarence Was: Ebenezer Buckingham (from Old Northwest Genealogical Quarterly, January 1901 - has pictures) Ebenezerï¿½s father was Ebenezer Buckingham Born Feb 9, 1778, Greenfield, Conn.; died 1832. Married Nov 27, 1805, Kate Putnam (daughter of General Rufus Putnam). (She died Mar 14, 1808, at birth of son.) He traces lineage thru Thomas Buckingham (one of the founders of Yale College). Second marriage: Sarah Sturges of Fairfield, Conn., Mar 31, 1812. Third marriage: Eunice Hale of Glastonberry, Conn., Aug 15, 1816.

Ebenezerï¿½s mother was Esther (Bradley) Buckingham Children: Stephen, Milton, Ebenezer, and others. Father of Kate: Did a lot at Zanesville, Ohio...banking, school systems, merchandise store, State Senate *1815-1816 and 1823-1824), promoted building (?) Canal (Ohio).

Question: The Buckingham Fountain, built in 1927, is in which US city?
Answer: Chicago